Executive Director of the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), Colin Piper, has described the first edition of the Bouyon Festival as “a good first attempt”, despite a disappointing turn out.
Kros Vybez, WCK, Asa Bantan, the Original Bouyon Pioneers and Tripple K pounded song after song from 8.30 pm on Friday until the early hours of Saturday morning to a medium crowd at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium.
“We haven’t done the actual counts but the numbers were less than we would have hoped for,” Piper told Dominica News Online.
“But all in all I think it was a good first attempt in terms of the organization from our end, in terms of the stage, the lights and sound system that we provided the bands with and certainly the patrons seemed to enjoy themselves.”
According to him, there could be “any number of things,” that could have attributed to the low turn -out.
Among them, he noted, was the packed calendar, the day before the grand finale of the Calypso competition.
“So we just think it’s an event that needs to gain its momentum and that in time to come, when people know that it’s going to be a staple on the calendar that they will plan for it.”
When asked whether the placement of the show could be reconsidered, Piper noted that if this has to be done everything would have to be reconsidered as well.
“Because as you know we were trying to put this pageantry weekend together, and put this bacchanal weekend together, so it fits best in the bacchanal weekend. So the question is, is that an appropriate show for the bacchanal weekend, or do we scrap the idea all together?”
He said when the post mortem is done they will be taking all of these things into consideration.
The CEO of DDA said he would like the Bouyon Festival to become an annual event, and hopefully it would grow beyond Dominica’s borders. He added that bouyon music definitely has a place in carnival, as it goes side by side even on the two days of street jump up.
Piper also stated that next year they will strive to improve all aspects of carnival.
A Bouyon of Mal Vat proportions. Piper lacks originality and excitement, like his personality, a personality of a door knob.
People know they are going to get nuff bouyon on Monday and Tuesday jump-up for free basically plus with all the other shows and costs, people don’t have a money tree. Nevertheless, I can see the show growing. I will be there for it again next year.
Maybe the low turn out could be because of the awfulness of Bouyon music, and also the negative elements that it attracts?
I don’t know how Dominica can be proud to hail this genre of music as innovative, when Jamaica has dancehall/reggae, with lyrics and music you can actually dance to!
IMJustSaying… My Opinion
Include all Dominica’s Bouyon bands next year.
I think The Bouyon Festival should happen on the Sunday, then take it straight to the road for Jouvert. Like back when there was a jam on the port then everyone headed straight to Jouvert.. it would add some flavor to Jouvert.
Piper this is crap
You took out our queen show from the carnival weekend to a week before.
Pure MADNESS.
Its my understanding from a senior costume builder that they were not even informed.
Returning Dominicans are outraged.
And now talking that bull about disappointing crowd?
What u expected? People to suddenly pack the stadium for bands they are going to jump on for free in two days time?
Piper and his team needs to go before they kill our carnival.
To add insult to injury he had the queen show on the Friday nigh, a week earlier.
This man is a bougewah and don’t understand the people’s carnival product.
He and Val did not even attempt the Saturday night but the Friday , leaving the Saturday to the Mothers Queen show and nothing else after talking crap about pageant weekend?
What about the rest of us that don’t go to queen shows?
Piper Val was a failure at the festival that’s why he was discarded and u brought him and some dotich ezra to kill people carnival…
Sorry for the bad news Piper but Bouyon will not be going places outside of DA. I would want to see that but unfortunately the musicians are only trying to cater to the Dominican public. There is no cross-appeal. This is not to say we should not promote it. Rather, they have to be more creative. I have been to many jams outside of DA, particularly where there are other bands on the cards and the non Dominican public simply stands there and watches on. The one international bouyon hit still remains “Balance Batty”. Nothing close to this regionally recognizable beat has been produced. We have to show recognition to the Bouyon pioneers but to grow this music it wont happen with the current narrow minded trend…Many of the folks who enjoyed Bouyon 10, 20 years ago are no longer that interested in the genre and thats not what we want…Cadance for example even though it got a substantial blow in the 1980s still has cross appeal. This is what you have to think about Piper.
To be honest, maybe bouyon has had its day now, it has been around a long time. Bouyon is not everyone’s cup of tea. If that music can not find its place on the world stage on its own after all that time we should not ask the govt. to throw money at it. Discover Dominica budget far smaller to promote all of Dominica than the P.M. election budget. I think they should preserve their precious money to promote Dominica outside and maybe not spend it on a questionable soup for a few, that does contribute little to advance tourism in Dominica.
middle of de month Carnival 2015 fall….dat is when I’m the ‘brokesest’ and praying for month-end to come. So not my little $20.00 I remaining dere for de rest of de month I going to spend on Bouyon Festival.
When salaries are more attractive down in D.A. ppl will sewo hard.